Pooya Razi

Pooya Razi is a multidisciplinary artist born in 1984 in Tehran.

A graduate of the Art University of Tehran, Pooya’s artistic practice spans painting, short film and video. His video arts and short films are strongly marked by his sensibilities and techniques as a painter and visual artist, and shown and recognized, in both galleries and film festivals.

Pooya has held six solo painting exhibitions and participated in many local and international group exhibitions in Canada, the UK, Belgium and Dubai. He has also been officially selected for some major international short film festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, France, Festival du nouveau Cinema, Montreal, Canada, Glasgow Short Film Festival, Scotland, Oberhausen short film festival, Germany, just to name a few.

He was nominated for the grand prize of the 60th International Short Film Festival, Oberhausen (2015), and awarded “The Special Mention by the Jury” at the 67th   International Short Film Festival for the best music video, Oberhausen (2021).

Professional Experiences:
2023. The selection committee of the 8th Khorshid international video art and experimental film festival
(video art section).
2023. Video artist of “Ik ben Antigone” play, Altstadt Theatre Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2022. Video artist of “Father” play, the main hall of the city theater complex. Tehran, Iran.
2021. Director of the award winner animated music video “STATION THREE”.
2018-2019. Creator of award Winner video art / short experimental film (2 versions) “Not Being”.
2011-2014. Creator of award-nominated animated short experimental film/video art (2 versions) “THE NOISE”.
Since 2003- Now: working as a freelance visual artist.
Since 2003-Now: Drawing instructor at multiple Tehran-based art institutes.

Solo Exhibitions:
2020. “Wall coverings”, Video Installation, Glass Box Project, Vancouver, Canada.
2020. “Passivity”, Assar Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran.
2015. “The Interval”, Etemad Gallery, Tehran, Iran.
2012. “Behind the Scenes”, Etemad Gallery, Tehran, Iran.
2008. “In search of the lost time”, Aria Gallery, Tehran, Iran.

Awards and selections:
2023. Nominated for “The Sovereign” Art Prize, Hong Kong.
2021. Winner of Special mention of the jury, MuVi International competition 67th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Germany.
2020. Winner of CNC (National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image) Quality Award Commission (Aid after directing), France.
2019. Winner of the best independent video at the 7th Khorshid film festival. Tehran, Iran.
2019. Official selection 48th Festival du nouveau cinémam, Montreal, Canada.
2019. Winner of best experimental film at the 35th Tehran international short film festival. Tehran, Iran.
2015. Official selection, Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, Lab competition, France.
2015. Official selection, Glasgow Film Festival, Glasgow, UK.
2014. Grand Prize nominee, International Competition: 60th International Short Film Festival
Oberhausen”, Oberhausen, Germany.
2014. Official selection, New Visions: Doclisboa`14 International Film Festival”, Lisbon, Portugal.
2014. “Social self-portrait – The camera as a mirror” of “Festival du nouveau cinema”. Montreal, Canada.
2010. Nominated for “MOP CAP” visual art competition, UK.
2008. Selected as Top Ten Painter in “Montakhabe Nasle No”, Homa Gallery, Iran.

Group Presentations (selected):
2023. “Realism”, “Not Being” video art, Dastan Gallery, Frieze’s Mayfair gallery, London, UK.
2022. “Vanishing Point”, A selection of works from the Pejman collection, Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, Pejman foundation, Argo factory, Tehran, Iran.
2018. “WE ONLY LIVE TWICE”, The Exhibition of Iranian Moving Images and video arts. BWA WROCLAW – Galleries of Contemporary Art and NEW HORIZONS. Warsaw, Poland.
2018. Contemporary Iranian painters, Contemporary Arts Museum Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
2014. “The Greater Middle East Unveiled”, Opera Gallery, Dubai, UAE.
2014. “Breath from a Warm Locale in Pictures” Film & Video Art, Croxhapox Gallery, Gent, Belgium.
2014. History Game, Etemad Gallery, Tehran, Iran.
2012. Mise-en-scène, Etemad Gallery, Dubai, UAE.
2010. Palais de Tokyo et du Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris During FIAC, Paris, France.